I have no regrets for the past season. My garden has never looked better and has never been neglected so badly. The weather was perfect, the rainfall plentiful. I weeded it twice but should have done it a third time. I added no mulch and I never watered it. I didn't tweak or move a single plant. I did spend some time planting and watering the new grass seed and all my hard work there paid off in spades. I'm looking forward to next spring and summer and hoping that this new found neglect process will do it justice again. LOL!!

Lilyfinch- Your puppy sounds like an extra challenge to your gardening plan, but I think weigela will look very pretty along your fence. I always have to plan my gardens around the barn kitties, the horses and the little doe that visits once in a while. As much as I enjoy gardening, I love having the animals even more :) I know a lot of people are not deer fans, but we only have the one that comes into the yard (the rest are too timid) and she only comes down for apples and to steal a little of the horses' salt block.

My biggest challenge is the quackgrass! I didn't edge my beds (rookie mistake and not enough time this summer) so I'm going to start over with the beds and either move plants, or work around the larger ones. After I take out ALL the grass, and edge the beds, I will try again.

Memo- I like your new neglect process. I don't think it will work with my quackgrass, but I would love to try it next summer, wait, that's what I did this summer :)

On the dog and fence issue... Dogs WILL run the fencelines so your best bet is to accomodate that need. In my backyard garden, there are paths that run along the side fences; along the back, the path follows the dogs' preferred route. The dogs can run the fencelines without doing any damage to the beds. There is a network of paths through the garden and they also serve as a running track for the dogs. The dogs really prefer to take the 'path of least resistance' and I've never had problems with dogs damaging the garden. We only have one dog of our own but regularly dog-sit for friends. Dogs and gardens are compatible - as long as you accomodate the dogs' needs. Some of the dogs that frequent the garden (the little door-guard is ours...):
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A rough idea of the layout of the path system:

Like memo, 2009 garden season was pretty ideal here. I hope 2010 will be as good!

I regret not planting more Yvonne's salvia, not prepping a few beds I made better. And not tilling the soil where I have my meadow bed already started. Since I've already sown seeds in those areas, I'll wait til fall and judge how it grew over the summer. I may need to restart in late summer and plant my clover earlier than I did this year.

My biggest regret? Killing my New Mexico Figwort (Scrophularia macrantha)- I will never forgive myself for that one. It was starting to look sickly, but I didn't move it because I loved how it looked in this one place of my garden. Not sure what when wrong with it. Might have been root rot. The soil in that area doesn't drain fast since it is so hard packed. I should have moved it at first sign of suffering. I really must buy another next year...it was a lovely plant. Hummingbirds loved it.

I also moved a long row of Iris (used to edge a pathway) this spring. It looks much better without them in a row- I regret not having done this years ago!

But the good thing about mistakes is that you can always learn from them and become all the wiser for having made them.
CMK

Woodyoak outlined the perfect plan: paths along the fence and through the yard for the dogs to follow. There's no rule that says shrubs are supposed to be smack up against a fence. Leave a dog run, the shrubs grow up and hide the dog path.

Out in the middle, fence in the plants instead of the dogs. Dogs are not interested in jumping a fence that doesn't lead to freedom, so the plants will be safe. Little wattle structures made of rebar and shrubbery prunings make great temporary fences and baffles to remind them to go around. Following the paths they've already started are a good idea.

My regrets are always that I didn't plant more of everything. Why didn't I buy 6 or 9 Julia Child roses instead of 2, when they were freshly available last spring?

Nell

I regret that I keep buying passion flower vines and bouganvilla, then have no place for them. I have killed several of these plants because I can't resist them at the store!

I regret that my grass has taken over the walking pathway garden, and that I didn't keep on top of it like I should have.

I regret spraying round-up on the grass in the rose garden. Almost killed a couple of my roses, and when they finally started blooming 'normally', they were gorgeous! (By then, the grass had begun growing again!!!)

I regret planting 7 knockout roses too close together - I could have planted only 3 in that spot! (I should know better than this by now.)

I regret not having enough time, energy, or money to finish the beds I have now, as I will certainly start a new one next year, and will have double work ahead of me.

I regret having killed a few plants by trying to push my zone, or by lack of watering, or other reasons.

I regret that my bulbs I bought to plant this fall are still in my refrigerator.

I regret that I have not yet shaped the boxwoods, that I never got around to pruning the trees that needed it, or cut down some of the plants that are out-growing their bounds.

I may end up regretting that I planted so many lantana!

So many regrets - but I also have so many things that worked well or gave me joy. Such is the life of a gardener! :)

Thanks for the suggestions about leaving the dogs a path and planting in front of it! Im glad to have ideas from you all, it helps!
CMK, i am off the google that plant you mentioned, it must be something if youll replace it! And anything that attracts hummers is something i need!
Holleygarden, dont be so tough on yourself! Lol im sure you did so much that you cant always squeeze all the maintenence in. I also planted knockouts too close, holy cow do they grow fast!!! And i say every year i will plant a spectacular tulip display, and never get around to it.

My one goal for this summer was to not let a plant die in its pot from not being watered (i used to do that alot!)
Only 1 died, after 2 months of me not knowing whaere to put it. It was a blue muffin viburnum, and i read something about needing another viburnum nearby to pollinate it (or something!) Luckily it was a 3 dollar lowes clearence, but i wish i had given it away instead of killing it!

I had to laugh about the dogs and their paths! I have one dog who is a digger. I finally decided to just leave the holes, thinking he would just go back and lay in them. Wrong!!!

He wants fresh cool ones. I don't even want to count these holes. I have to watch the ones near the base of plants and recover so the plants won't die.

Regrets.......too old to have regrets....just move on to the next year when things will be better.

I'm another who is too old for regrets...and who has a dog (two actually, although the son is just following mom and doesn't really get it) who digs...one would think those chipmunks would have moved on by now! I am afraid of one of our stone walls collapsing because Annabelle has dug out behind it almost completely. Oh well. I make way to many mistakes to regret. As you said, just move on!

I regret I left some areas to the weeds. They are kind of far back or off to the side, and I let it get weedy. That will be difficult to recover to be weed free. I've always kept my gardens weed free. At least I'm transitioning some of the area from garden to evergreen.

-lilyfinch, you will love it if you get it! The flowers are so unusual, but very pretty. The butterflies like it too. One day I was looking out and a huge swallowtail butterfly was perched on the top of the flower. I think High Country gardens sells the New Mexico Figwort. I think I might have to order more from them, since the local place I got it at before keeps selling out!
CMK

I have no regrets in the garden. Anything that didn't get done this year, will hopefully get done next year, but there's never any guarantee of that! Anything that needed to be changed can still be changed next year. I guess it gives me something to plan and look forward to while the garden's covered in snowed for the winter.

CMK-I've definitely got to try that plant. I had never heard of it and it looks beautiful.

Memo-love the neglect angle. I am a gardener of probably half-neglect. I spend a lot of time planting new areas and tweaking some, but then half-neglect everything else. If the shrubs and plants can't make it with a bit of neglect, then they usually don't get to stay in my garden.

Nell-I've been thinking about getting a Julia Child rose but sort of swore off roses after I tried a big rose garden and it was not so great for me. However, hearing you wish you had bought more makes me realize how special it must really be. It's on the list for next year!

Token-I think some of you have mentioned Yvonne's Salvia before. I'm pretty sure it would be an annual for me. Is it pretty readily down on NC (I travel there a few times a year), or should I just try to start it from seed? It looks like an outstanding plant.

Happy Holidays everyone!
Cheers!
Susan

I regret that I didnÂt start seeds so that my zinnias bloomed in Sept  doh!

I regret that it was the worst summer in 40 years for vegetable gardens in the northeast (according to the owner of Fedco Seeds of Maine) and that of my squash and cucumbers the sum total of my harvest from the brand new potager was 2 ornamental gourds (which just got thrown in the compost)

I regret that my beloved lantana  which in the northeast we grow as annuals  had NO flowers after the ones that were blooming when I bought them died (blame it on the cold and wet).

I REALLY regret the tomato blight which was so perplexing and troubling.

I also regret that I am always pushing zones, even when I know heartbreak will result (what is that about hope springing eternal?)

I regret that we got a killing frost so early this year.

I regret that I carefully pruned a bridal wreath spiraea before I realized that is NOT what you are supposed to do if you want gorgeous long sprays draping down.

But now it's time to celebrate the solstice because starting today the days are getting LONGER! And we regroup and dream about that first snow drop!
Cheers to all
lucia